TNAG-1530-FCO40-2094-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1986 — Page 31

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CONFIDENTIAL

MEETING WITH M. J P HOCKÉ

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: 29 OCTOBER

све ди

Present

Mr Williams, UND

Mrs Rogerson, UND

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 2 DEC 1986

DESK OFFICER

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Acion Taken

M. Hocké, UN High Commissioner

for Refugees

Mr Adams, UNHCR

Mr Volfing, UNHCR

Miss Khan, UNHCR

1.

INDCA

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After the exchanges of views with Departments M. Hocké asked for

a few minutes to discuss recent developments on asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

2.

M Hocké referred to recent consultative meetings and for

pressures from a number of countries especially FRG and Denmark for

action. There had seemed to be consensus for a further meeting at

Ministerial level, hence his cable via UNHCR representatives in

capitals. This had been a mistake on two fronts. First, attitudes to a Ministerial meeting were not as positive as he had been led to believe; second, UNHCR should not have appeared to be bypassing

missions in Geneva. However, the idea had been usefully followed up

in discussions at EXCOM.

3. The events of August and September had showed that events could overtake the process of consultation. The problems of Tamils and Iranians could only be solved by governments and UNHCR round a table; the alternative was buck passing across frontiers. There was

a need to take stock and know how governments felt and how they

wanted to proceed. He hoped this exchange would start on 3 November. There was a need for the Working Group to continue, but it was a technical group and progress was also needed outside it. He envisaged a meeting in the first half of December, of officials from capitals, possibly followed by a second official meeting in February, which would seek to define objectives and consider

U45ABM

CONFIDENTIAL